Study Looks at Mechanism of Reactions to Bee Venom

Differential Activation of p38 and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in Spinal Cord in a Model of Bee Venom-Induced Inflammation and Hyperalgesia
Molecular Pain, 2008, 4:17

Background: Honeybee's sting on human skin can induce ongoing pain, hyperalgesia and inflammation. Injection of bee venom (BV) into the intraplantar surface of the rat hindpaw induces an early onset of spontaneous pain followed by a lasting thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in the affected paw.

The underlying mechanisms of BV-induced thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity are, however, poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the generation of BV-induced pain hypersensitivity…

Conclusion: The results indicate that differential activation of p38 and ERK1/2 in the dorsal horn may contribute to the generation and development of BV-induced pain hypersensitivity by different mechanisms.